Kingdom Of Rust
by KiloWhisky-NovemberHotel
Summary: A pair of dysfunctional friends search for an absent sister but instead run into a certain missing brother. Dixon boys aint nothin but trouble.
1. Goodbye Barry

_I cannot think of a way to justify writing this. Sorry._

_Characters are mine (for now), TWD gang shall come in later._

_Again: Sorry._

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><p>The wasteland of Lawrence Kansas stood silent as the grave. Main street was empty, one half expected to see a tumbleweed bouncing between the rusting bodies of cars. Jill's Chicken Shack was burned to the ground, the windows Lawrence Hardware Store smashed in, shards of glass still clinging to the frame like jagged teeth to a gaping mouth. It was midday but not a soul was present on the filthy street, not a sound could be heard. It wasn't peaceful it was eerie-<p>

**BANG!**

The silence shattered and animalistic howls of pain echoed through the streets. The hurried scrape of feet on the pavement betrayed movement and a figure comes into view, hurrying down the middle of the road, bumping into dead cars in its haste to escape the pain. Barry Dorner, or that was its name once, limped, howling, black blood leaving a trail in its wake. He had once been a fat man but the end of the world was the universes best weight loss program. Bruised and bloodied skin stretched over gaunt bones, animated by pure instinct and a virus, quite literally from hell.

Barry limped on "Huuuurrrrrrr" He moaned, panting and wheezing. Frayed dress shoes dragging down the path, black blood was oozing from the midsection of a designer shirt.

There was a whistle from behind him and the creatures froze in its track. Its Instincts were telling it to run, Demonic Virus telling it to turn around and disembowel the juicy, living, steak on legs that dared fight back in the first place. Eventually blood lust one out and it turned slowly and awkwardly to face the figure down the street. He could smell the living blood even at the distance and it made him drool feebly "uurgh", blood shot eyes struggling to focus on the man so boldly standing just yards away. So close…

Barry lunged, grey hands forming claws. With supernatural strength it propelled its body with shattered bones. So close…

**BANG!**

There was a vague, trickle running down Barry's forehead. He squinted in confusion, the prey was holding something… grey…shiny…smoking… Something human registered in the creatures' brain and it stumbled to the side, legs no longer supporting its body it crumpled to the ground. Teeth still gnashing with hunger as the last neurons in Barry Dorners brain fired and he died.

"What a waste of two rounds…" Barry's executioner nudged him with a steel capped toe, lighting a cigarette to gaze absently at the corpse. He took a drag, holding it between his teeth as he double checked his gun, A Colt. Confident that everything was as it should be the man, moved on. He was wearing baggy Levi's and a leather motor jacket, a regular James Dean zombie killer. Enter Alec Jericho, 25, former employee of… nowhere.

Grey eyes scanned the buildings on either side of him like they were enemies. His hand never strayed far from his waistband, where the gun was held. He stopped outside of a car dealership. It had been cleared out, display room smashed to bits. He sighed, resigned to being stuck on foot until he found a suitable vehicle. So the man set off, strolling boldly through the middle of the street as if it where the safest place in the world. He paused yet again at the last building on the block. "Harvey's Restorations" There was a faded cartoon hot rod above the signs, bull bar grinning down at him. Alec raised an eyebrow, thinking. With a huff he swung his duffle off his shoulder, unzipping it and pulling out a shot gun, good heavy bullets that wouldn't leave survivors. Unlike Betty, he mused, thinking about the small slugs he wasted on the last zombie that crossed his path. Alec took another drag of his cigarette for courage and hesitantly pushed the door open to enter the shop…

It was dark inside, the door swung shut behind him with a horror movie creak. It smelt like petrol and decomposing flesh, Alec wrinkled his nose, extinguishing his smoke under his boot. He pressed on, struggling to see in the gloom. Something caught the light and he moved towards it, around the front counter to the back wall where a series of hooks where drilled into the wall. On them was a series of keys. Alec grinned "Bingo" he reached out to grab one, stepping forward as he did so.

"Argh!" There was a muffled cry as something squelched under his foot, the man slipped forward hitting the key wrack, they jangled with the impact and he hissed between his teeth. If there was something in the store, he might as well invite it over after all that noise. Alec stopped for a moment to listen, all was silence. With slight relief he looked down to investigate whatever it was on the floor, a hand. Great. The rest of the corpse was curled up under the desk. Alec did his best to ignore it as he turned back to the keys, collecting each one. He was about to move when there was a quiet click. Alec paled, suddenly aware of something cold pressed to his temple. His hands flew in the air, dropping his bag. The keys fell to the floor with a clatter.

"Are you trying to attract trouble?" There was a hiss in his ear, the gun pressed harder against his skull. "Woah woah, watch it! That gun firing isn't exactly gonna be subtle!". He felt his assailant hesitate and the pressure lessoned "you're right… A gunshot would be too loud" Alec had barely breathed a sigh of relief before he was hit over the head with it instead.

"Ow! What are you doing!"

"Trying to knock you out! It works in the movies!" The voice raised in pitch."quit it! holy crap who goes around pistol whipping people?" and as Alec whirled to face it his heart sunk. "I got outgunned by a chick?"

She growled "Oh please, cut the sexist crap. I'm having a bad day as it is"

"You're having a bad day? I just got friggin pistol whipped!"

"Hey I was trying to-"She was cut off as in one smooth move, Alec swiped the gun off her and swung the barrel to rest between her eyes "Shut up".

She froze like a deer in the headlights, Eyes darting for a weapon. "You here alone?" Alec grunted. Her lip curled in annoyance "My sister is out on a raid. That's it". He didn't know why but he believed her. "Fine…"

There was an awkward moment where the two struggled to catch their breath and work out what happened next. They settled for sizing each other up. All he could tell was that she was short and waifish straight blonde hair hanging just past her shoulders. She was young, at least a few years younger than him. Yet again he groaned internally with the ease she had managed to get the upper hand, this chick didn't look the least bit threatening, hell she wasn't even wearing shoes.

She glared right back at him. He was tall and lean. Yep, no beating that in a fight. Her shoulders dropped in surrender and she shuffled awkwardly "so…tea?"

"yeah… yes please" He lowered the gun and picked his bag back up, fighting wouldn't achieve anything anyway. She led him back through a door at the side of the room and up a flight of stairs, stopping in the hallway and looking up "You mind?" Alec stared blankly before noticing a chord attached to a trap door, he reached up to pull it, as the door opened a flight of stairs unfolded. The two ascended "so how do you normally get up here?"

"I stand on a bucket" She growled. Alec struggled to hide his smirk. "Jerk" She muttered under her breath, leading the way into the small loft above the shop. There were two piled mattresses against one wall and what looked like a camp-fireplace in the centre of the room. A table against the opposite room was home to what looked like about 4 small guns and a first aid kit. "Don't make yourself at home here" The girl said coldly, lighting a match and throwing it into the already stocked fireplace.

Alec settled cross legged on the floor and lit another cigarette "any of the cars downstairs in working order?''

"Unless you're a mechanic they are pretty much screwed" The girl said as she stooped to put a pot of water on to boil. "Dammit!" Alec hissed.

The two sat in silence for a while, sipping the tea. Before the girl broke the silence "I would kill for some milk"

"You're a chick, Make some" She pulled a disgusted face at him and he shrugged "sorry if my sense of humour has suffered a bit these past two years". They lapsed back into silence.

"What's you're name?"

"Dodge"

"Huh?" Alec snorted "that is not a name"

She stuck out her tongue "Ever seen Zombieland?"

"Yeah what about it?"

"Tallahassee is my idol, I like the name thing"

"Oh… Can I be… Santa, Idaho?" Alec chuckled, how could be compare this situation to a comedy movie? "That is not a place" She actually seemed kinda serious.

"Yeah it is, I've been!''

"Whatever you can be Lame Deer, Montana" They both laughed.

"Frankenstein is a place in Missouri"

A grin spread across the girls face "you want to be called Frankenstein?" Alec or Frankenstein nodded a mischievous glint in his eye. Dodge laughed "Well then, nice to meet you Frankenstein"

She held out a hand and he shook it.

"You too Dodge"


	2. Humanity

Alec awoke with a vicious hangover.

The morning light filtering in through the small loft window was a blazing inferno. He groaned, covering his face as sleep slowly began to reclaim him. Suddenly, someone was shaking him.

"Wake up!"

He tried to swat the voice away but it rose in pitch. "Frankenstein dammit! My sister still hasn't come back so get your sorry ass up out of her bed!"

"Frankenstein? What are you even…?" He murmured vaguely

"Urgh I should never have let you get drunk last night!"

Suddenly it clicked. Alec shot up "What time is it?"

"It's 10am, you've been dead to the world for about 11 hours. She's still not back! Oh god what if she-" Dodge's eyes were wide, borderline panic. She was pacing back and forth in the small loft. It was obvious she had awoken in a hurry, her shirt was on inside out. Alec vaguely wondered if she was as hungover as he was.

"She's never been gone this long… its been a day and a half. I was just sitting here drinking, I thought she would be back by now, I don't even know where she is and I don't know what I would do if she got hurt, I'm the kid sister, this isn't right I-"

"Shut up"

Dodge stopped rambling and rounded on Alec, the air seemed colder all of a sudden. "Excuse me?" She hissed. Alec returned her glare, releasing an impatient sigh "calm down"

"How can I possibly calm down! My sister is-"

"Probably stuck somewhere, waiting for you to pull it together and help her sorry ass!" Alec growled, getting to his feet. Dodge bit her lip "You…you're right. She would pay me out so bad if she knew I was freaking out like this" she laughed shakily. Alec rolled his eyes "don't be so co-dependent, it's weak"

"And the weak get eaten. Gotcha" Dodge seemed to centre herself and was back to being the aloof girl he had first encountered. She grabbed a leather jacket and her first aid kit, tossing them in a beaten up duffle bag. "Woah hang on! Do you even know what you're doing?" Alec said.

Dodge didn't look up, instead she grabbed a gun, checked the chamber and grabbed another case of ammo. "She said she was heading East, there is a super-market there that looked intact it should have only taken her a few hours" She said.

"You haven't answered my question"

"I'm going to get her"

"and if she's not there?"

"Then I keep heading East, we had plans to get to Atlanta." Dodge gritted her teeth impatiently. Alec struggled to find a way to hold her back, it was a suicide mission and he knew it. "But how are you getting there? You said all the cars are trashed!" He tried to physically bar her as she walked for the door with her few possessions "let me through!" she growled. He refused to move "This is crazy! You'll be killed!"

"Yeah and what do you care?" Dodge stopped trying to get past him and glared at him. The boy actually looked intimidated "I uh… I don't hate ya, that's all" He shrugged. She laughed bitterly, successfully shrugging past him "I don't hate you either Frankenstein, and if it means anything I hope you don't die" She called over her shoulder as she dropped the ladder into the shop below.

Alec stood in the empty loft for a second; far off a walkers moan could be heard. He huffed "Fuck!", grabbing his own back he rushed after her "wait up! I'm coming!"

He caught up with her in the garage where she was loading a big black van. "But you said-" Alec started and was cut off by a laugh "I lied, couldn't have you stealing it now could we?"

Alec shook his head, incredulous "This is crazy! You're crazy!"

She grinned back "Hey! It's a crazy world!"

They worked together to load a barrel of fuel into the back of the van. Alec noticed there was already a crate of provisions and a pair of sleeping bags.

"My sister and I live in here when we're on the road" Dodge had said.

And just like that they were barrelling along a country road. It felt good to have the wind in his hair, Alec hadn't travelled by car in months. "Who fixed this?" He had tried asking her but she didn't answer, Alec could of sworn her smile slipped from her lips though.

"So do I have to keep calling you Frankenstein?" Dodge broke the silence, grinning.

"Do I have to keep calling you Dodge? My names Alec… Alec Jericho"

"Lucia Astaire" She beamed "When you meet her my sisters name is Lillian but everyone... everyone alls her Janie"

"Astaire sounds posh" Alec snorted.

"Jericho sounds fake" Lucia stuck out her tongue. Alec wondered if that was her only insult.

"Woah, look what we have here…" Lucia slowed down. Alec looked up. Ahead of them a pair of walkers were walking hand in hand down the road. One was still sporting a police uniform and cap. "How did they not eat each other?" Alec breathed, yep they were handcuffed together. If that wasn't the worst arrest ever he didn't know what was.

"Should we take em out?" Lucia looked pale. Alec was surprised, she seemed like the kind to distance herself from such things.

"Drive over them, it will save ammo" He said. Lucia looked at him, suddenly anxious "I don't know if I can…"

Alec sighed "Switch sides, I'll take care of it" She nodded, suddenly quiet.

They both hopped out of the van, Alec making sure to keep his eyes on the creatures down the road that were slowly but surely stumbling towards them. His hand itched for his gun.

Suddenly, there was a groan closer by and Lucia let out a strangled cry from the other side of the van. Alec rushed around to the other side. A child no, what had once been a child had tripped the girl and was doing its best to gnaw through her jeans. Lucia had her gun out but couldn't bring herself to shoot, without hesitation Alec drew his gun and dropped the walker at point blank range. The corpse slumped forward, dark liquid oozed out of its head, seeping into the torn denim.

Lucia was still frozen when Alec rushed forward and grabbed her roughly, staring into her face "were you bitten?"

"I… I couldn't…" Lucia was still staring at the corpse. He shook her with a growl.

"Were you bit!"

She snapped out of it "No, I'm fine" She shook her head, leaning on the van for support. Alec studied her "fine, but I'm driving from here on"

The girl nodded and wandered round to the passengers side. Alec jumped intot he drivers seat, slamming the door behind him. "How the hell have you survived so far if you can't even take out a damn walker!" as if to emphasise his point he sped up into the handcuffed walkers up the round, there was a sickening thud, Lucia winced. "I… I used to be fine with it but my brother- Michael was bitten two weeks before we got to Lawrence … I could have sworn-" She broke off shaking her head before looking at Alec "When he came back I could have sworn he recognised me. He Hesitated, Alec! He hesitated I know It!"

Alec's grip tightened on the steering wheel "They aren't people anymore Luce, whatever you saw in his eyes was hunger. Pure and simple."

Lucia's lip curled "you don't know what you're talking about"

"I know that grief can make you see things that aren't there" Alecs eyes were trained on the road.

"Don't get all superior on me! What happened back there was a fluke, I can look after myself!" She hissed.

"Sure, sure you do! One day without your sister and you become this terrified mess! If it weren't for me you would be walker chow, or worse!"

"What makes you so sure of yourself? I see you came here alone; nobody lives like that by choice. What happened? You weren't enough to protect them? I recon-"

"Shut up! Just shut up!" The van jerked violently as Alec snarled, Lucia wondered if he was going to hit her. She had touched a nerve here and instantly regretted it. Alec stayed silent and fuming the rest of the drive, not a word was said.

Lucia was so distracted by her thoughts that she almost missed the great white building looming above the trees. "Stop! This is it!" Alec looked up and swerved onto the road that would take them there. They pulled to a slow stop in the deserted parking lot. Lucia went to jump out but Alec grabbed her by the collar "wait a second!" He said quietly as she tried to protest "we need a plan"

Lucia swallowed and closed the door "You're right" Her eyes were scanning the shadows of the surrounding buildings "We can't stay here, its too exposed" Alec nodded "So… cargo bay?"

"Guess so"

They circled round to the back and parked in front of a large roller door. With a silent nod, the got out and Lucia got ready to slide it up, Alec had his gun at the ready. She counted to three and threw it up, it screeched in protest and both of them winced. It was empty inside. Lori ran back and brought the van forward, the closed the door after them to ensure a safe getaway.

They both looked towards the door into the mall. Alec swallowed hard "Anything could be in there". Lucia just bit her lip "we can take it" She started towards it.

"Look about before, I'm –"

"Don't say sorry, okay? No chick flick moments" Lucia glanced over her shoulder with a grim smile.

Alec couldn't help but grin back, there was a click as he flicked off the safety on his Colt "Okay, lets find big sis"


	3. Hello

_AN: Just a short one (which means another is coming up soon) Sometime this week I will get around to fixing up all the inconsistencies (ie. Janie was originally going to be called Gabby, I was not aware where Georgia is etc.) Muy gracias to my reviewers Oh and I don't think I've done a disclaimer yet but yeah. Not mine. Obviously. Its fanfiction._

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><p>The door swung open with a steady creak. Lucia shuddered as a blast of putrid air was released.<p>

It was dark and quiet inside, Alec licked his lips nervously "are you sure you want to go in there?"

She was already gone.

The mall seemed for the most part intact; most people had fled the cities when it got real bad. Most shops were locked up but a few had obviously been looted, a camping supply shop here, a hunting gear outlet there. There was dry blood on the floor. Alec quickened his pace, doing his best to tread silently through the darkened halls.

By the time he caught up with Lucia she was storming through the food court, frantically looking under tables and in store rooms "Janie!-" Alec covered her mouth with a hiss "are you trying to get us killed!" She shook her head with a scowl "I don't give a shit! What if she's hurt and can't-"

A low moan echoed through the complex, amplified by the empty halls.

Both of them ducked behind the counter of a kiosk, Alec redrew his gun "Great, look what you did!"

A few minutes of listening to their hearts beating out of their chest revealed no more walker activity. Lucia shrugged off Alecs protests and stormed out from their hiding place, keeping her back to the wall she broke into a half jog. "You don't even have a weapon!" Alec growled under his breath. She rolled her eyes "Yeah but you do so try and keep up okay?" They rounded a corner into another deserted corridor. "Do you even know where we are going?"

"The supermarket, we needed food"

"Oh okay, so I'm sure she'll still be there after 2 days" Alec rolled his eyes, the girl rounded on him "Got a better idea?-"

"Well yes actually we leave a message here and go wait somewhere safe for-"

"Bad idea" Lucia growled "you don't get it do you? She is my _sister _Alec! if you ever bothered to stick your neck out for someone-"

"Hey I came with you on this stupid suicide mission didn't I? I just don't wanna be-" Alec froze mid-sentence as the sound of rapid footsteps approaching. "Janie!" Lucia called turning to face the sound but her face fell "Oh"

It was a girl, perhaps a little older than her sister. They had similar builds but this girl was pale, her hair darker than Janies. Blue eyes focused calmly on Lucia "you must be Luci?" she smiled. Lucia froze warily, eyes scanning the other girl as if wishing she was someone else "how do you know my name?"

"I guessed. Lighten up okay, your sisters fine!"

Alec was looking between the girls "Well I'm confused"

"Oh yeah, sorry! I just heard you guys and Janie said that her sister would come and you were loud and- I'm talking too much aren't I?" The newcomer laughed nervously "Its just Janie and you are the first people I have seen since running into, uh yeah you'll meet _him_- My names Kerry" She held out her hand with a trusting smile. "Uh Alec…" He shook her hand, looking as lost as ever "you have an accent-" He started but Lucia cut him off "you said my sister is ok, where is she?"

"She's over in the camping goods store on 23rd. She cant walk just yet, that's why-"

"What!" Lucia raised her voice, stepping forward "What happened? Spill!" Her voice was accusatory, Alec looked nervous.

"Woah calm down, She was being chased by walkers and Merle must have clipped a tendon when he was shooting at them" Kerry had her hands raised, trying to look neutral as Lucia was nodding, eyes wide "Okay…okay then, she's fine?"

"Yes!"

"And the Merle guy?"

"He's fine too"

"Good, I'm gonna kick his ass!"

Kerry grinned "he deserves it"

"So you came over from Scotland?" Alec started as they headed back to the van. Kerry nodded "yep, just before the shit hit the fan" She laughed a little "talk about bad timing".

"There was a good time for this to happen" Alec raised an eyebrow.

"Touché"

Lucia lifted the roller door slightly and glanced out, eyeing the surroundings "Looks like the coast is clear. Alright, lets get going" She hoisted it up and looked over her shoulder at the others impatiently "Well?"

"She always this highly strung?" Kerry murmured as she hopped in the passenger seat of the van. "Pretty much. 'cept for when she's drunk. She's a fun drunk" Alec suppressed a grin as he started it up and rolled out into the daylight. Lucia took one last look around and jumped in the back, losing her balance and falling forward as Alec abruptly sped up, laughing. "Asshat" She kicked the back of his seat, Kerry noticed she was smiling. It felt good to know her sister was okay.

"Left up here" Kerry pointed to a street leading off the main road, no walkers could be seen anywhere. "This place looks deserted" Luci breathed.

"Merle uses them for target practice, he needs it" Kerry shrugged, changing the subject "so what's your story?" she looked at the both of them.

Alec shrugged "I was passing through Kansas and she tried to beat me up"

"He broke into my hideout" Luci interrupted.

"uh huh" Kerry laughed "That's a healthy start to any relationship"

"No! its not- I'm just helping her find her sister" Alec coughed a little, Luci just laughed "so what about you Kerry?"

"Well as I said, I came for a holiday in Florida and well, you know it wasn't quite as relaxing as I'd hoped. My bellboy tried to eat me. I didn't want to get trapped on the peninsula so I started heading north for Georgia and I run into this guy… he had one hand and he was crazy"

Luci raised an eyebrow "one hand?"

"That's Merle for you, he sawed it off himself apparently."

"And you stayed with this guy!"

"He's the kinda guy you want on your side. Trust me" Kerry winked "what about you? Janie said that you guys are sisters? Turn right after this roundabout Alec"

He nodded as Lucia sighed "Me and Janie hadn't been talking for a while when it started, I didn't like her husband. He was… I just didn't trust him. We were living in different states but when this started we met up again. We are heading to Atlanta, that's where he was when he was on business trip. If it weren't for her I wouldn't have made it this far" Luci smiled faintly, remembering her old life, she snapped out of it quickly though "Alec, your turn"

He frowned "na, I think I'll pass for now"

"Come on" Kerry started but Alecs eyes grew dark "just leave it okay"

The girls exchanged glances "Just, down this driveway here" Kerry said quietly, Luci was studying Alec through narrowed eyes. Kerry caught her eye "We'll talk about this later" she mouthed silently. Luci nodded.


End file.
